(22) When Everything Came to a Standstill (En)

Working in international trade often meant dealing with situations beyond human control. Weather and other natural events could easily delay shipments, and there was nothing we could do except entrust everything to God.

As in my previous trading job, my work in international trade at my third company was filled with anxious moments. Whenever I was responsible for overseas shipments, I constantly worried about delivery schedules. Even a simple rainstorm could delay a ship's arrival or departure, affecting delivery deadlines. 

Import procedures were just as tense because any delay in customs clearance could postpone delivery to our customers. Sometimes I was so concerned about work that I even dreamed about it. Looking back, I realize how completely devoted I was to my job.

The most unforgettable experience happened when our company was preparing for a large international trade show in the United States.

Because production had fallen behind schedule, several large demonstration units could not be shipped by sea as originally planned. Instead, we had to send everything by air at the last minute. After a hectic rush, we finally managed to load the cargo onto the aircraft, and I felt greatly relieved.

Then something completely unexpected happened. A volcano near Anchorage suddenly erupted, and volcanic ash forced aircraft operations to stop. Our cargo was stranded at the airport.

Naturally, my supervisors and I were deeply concerned. We had reserved a large exhibition space, and without our equipment, it would remain almost empty. We repeatedly contacted the airline, but since this was a natural disaster, no one could tell us when flights would resume.

There was absolutely nothing I could do.

So I prayed earnestly.

"Lord, what should I do? If our exhibition booth is left empty, it will be a serious problem. Please stop the eruption, allow the flights to resume, and let our shipment arrive in time for the trade show."

Although I no longer remember the exact number of hours, the flights resumed after only several hours, and our shipment arrived just in time for the exhibition.

I thanked God with all my heart.

My work often felt like walking a tightrope, but through experiences like this, the Lord taught me to rely on Him when situations were completely beyond my control. Once again, He revealed His faithfulness and His glory.

------ to be continued -----

p.s.

These testimonies are written in chronological order. Testimonies ①–④ tell how I came to faith in Christ, and the testimonies that follow describe my walk with Him. Please see the link below.

https://heidisstudyroom.blogspot.com/search/label/My%20Faith%20Journey%28%E8%A8%BC%29

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多言語学習ランキング

Singing a Solo at Sunday Service: "いくるかいもなしと" (En/It)

　　　　　　　　　　　　

For the first time in two months, I had the opportunity to sing a solo during our Sunday service. I sang the first and third verses of Hymn No. 398, "Ikuru Kai mo Nashi to," transposed up one whole step from the original key. Even so, the first half of each verse was still rather low and difficult for me to sing.

To continue improving, I had my performance recorded and sent the video to my vocal teacher for feedback.

She replied:

"As you mentioned, I think the second half is definitely more stable. ♪ Your voice really carries well in the second half—it sounds beautiful! Singing is a lifelong journey, so let's keep studying and improving together. I'm sure everyone looks forward to hearing you sing."

My teacher is not the type to be overly critical. 😅

                                                                             ***************

Assolo durante il culto: Inno n. 398 "Ikuru Kai mo Nashi to"

(Video)

Dopo due mesi, ho cantato di nuovo un assolo durante il culto.

Ho cantato la prima e la terza strofa dell'inno n. 398, "Ikuru Kai mo Nashi to." Ho cantato un po' più alto dell'originale. Ma la prima parte del canto era ancora difficile per me.

Per migliorare, ho fatto registrare un video e l'ho mandato alla mia insegnante di canto.

Lei mi ha detto:

"La seconda parte è più stabile. ♪ La tua voce è bella e si sente molto bene. Continua a studiare e a cantare. Tutti aspettano con piacere di sentirti."

La mia insegnante non è una persona severa. 😅

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多言語学習ランキング

Learning English with "Anne of Green Gables" (En)

　　　　　　　

Recently, I watched Anne of Green Gables Full Story | Adventures of a Spirited Young Orphan on the Little Fox YouTube channel.

The complete animated story is about two hours long and consists of sixteen episodes. Each episode is fairly short, so learners do not have to watch the whole story at once. You can watch one episode a day or repeat the same episode several times.

Why I Recommend It for Listening Practice

Listening has always been more difficult for me than reading. However, I did not find the English in this series too difficult.

The story seems to have been made mainly for children, so the narration and dialogue are relatively clear. The characters do not speak as quickly as people often do in films or television dramas for adults.

Another advantage is that many people already know the story of Anne of Green Gables. Even when you cannot understand every word, you may be able to guess what is happening from the pictures and from your knowledge of the story.

Reading the Original Novel

The original novel by L. M. Montgomery can also be read free of charge on Project Gutenberg. It is available to read online and can also be downloaded in several formats.

Of course, the English in the original novel is more difficult than the English used in the animation. However, advanced learners may enjoy reading a chapter after watching the corresponding part of the story.

The animation can help learners understand the characters and events before they begin reading the original text.

Children’s Stories Are Not Only for Children

Some adult learners may hesitate to use material created for children. However, children’s stories can be very useful for language learning.

The English is often clearer, the story is easy to follow, and the episodes are not too long. Most importantly, an enjoyable story makes it easier to continue studying.

I watched all sixteen episodes and enjoyed returning to the world of Anne Shirley. I think this animated series can be both entertaining and useful for English learners, especially those who find listening difficult.

Listening has always been one of my weaker skills. Even so, I was able to enjoy all sixteen episodes without feeling overwhelmed. Everyone has a different way of studying English, but I hope some of you will enjoy this series as much as I did.

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多言語学習ランキング

(21) God Led My Former Colleague to Our Church (En)

(God heard the cry of my colleague's wife and led their whole family to our church.)

God hears every cry of the heart and every prayer. He remembers each one and faithfully prepares the path that is best for us.

As I write this testimony on December 23, 1997, Christmas always reminds me of my former colleague, S.Y., and his family.

Every Christmas Eve, I used to join our church's Christmas caroling outreach. But one particular year, for some reason, I simply didn't feel like going. Perhaps I just wanted to stay home because it was so cold. So I prayed and surrendered the matter to the Lord, deciding to follow whatever He led me to do.

On the evening of December 23, something completely unexpected happened. S.Y. called me, saying he wanted my address so he could send me a New Year's card. As we continued talking, he invited me to a Christmas party at his home the following evening. At that moment, I felt certain that this was the Lord's leading, so I accepted his invitation.

It was the first time I had met his wife, who was from Egypt. Since I didn't know that she spoke fluent Japanese, I spoke with her entirely in English. I eagerly shared how I had become a Christian, told her about Jesus, and explained the gift of praying in tongues.

To my surprise, she was the daughter of a pastor and belonged to a church where people also prayed in tongues. When she showed me a photograph of her father, I somehow felt reminded of our founding pastor.

The couple had been married in a church in Chiba, but because it was so far away, they found it difficult to attend worship services regularly. They also mentioned that they had once seen a poster advertising a Thanksgiving service at a church but had missed the opportunity to go. As we talked, we realized that the poster they had seen was from my church.

I couldn't help but feel that God had arranged this meeting.

That evening ended, and I returned home. Then, on the morning of our New Year's worship service, S.Y. suddenly called me again. He said that he and his family were planning to visit my church and asked if I could explain how to get there.

Although I didn't know the driving directions very well, God faithfully guided their family safely to our church.

That very day, both S.Y. and his wife received the baptism in the Holy Spirit. They continued worshipping at our church for several years until they eventually moved away.

Later, his wife told me something that deeply touched my heart. Although she spoke Japanese fluently, she had become exhausted by her husband's work-centered lifestyle. She had even prayed that God would allow her to separate from him and return to her home country.

It was at that very time that God led her to our church.

I had never once prayed specifically for S.Y. or his family. Yet God heard the prayer of his wife and, in His sovereign plan, chose to use someone she had never even met—me.

He simply reached down, picked me up, and used me to accomplish His purpose.

For that, I am truly grateful.

A Little Side Story

Incidentally, S.Y. was the very first person to call me "Heidi."

One day, out of the blue, I said to him, "From today on, please call me Heidi." 🤣

At the time, I had an amateur radio license and was planning to use the handle "Hidy" when making international radio contacts. Later, after I became interested in German, I changed the spelling to the German form, Heidi. 😊

------ to be continued -----

p.s.

These testimonies are written in chronological order. Testimonies ①–④ tell how I came to faith in Christ, and the testimonies that follow describe my walk with Him. Please see the link below.

https://heidisstudyroom.blogspot.com/search/label/My%20Faith%20Journey%28%E8%A8%BC%29

にほんブログ村

にほんブログ村　　　　　

多言語学習ランキング